November32009
Being sad makes people less gullible, improves their ability to judge others and also boosts memory, according to an Australian study. The study, authored by Professor Joseph Forgas at the University of New South Wales, shows that people in a negative mood were more critical of, and paid more attention to, their surroundings than happier people, who were more likely to believe anything they were told. “Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, cooperation, and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking paying greater attention to the external world,” writes Forgas in the November/December edition of Australasian Science.
— ABC News
